Beverage-based garment

ABSTRACT

A garment is disclosed for aiding in the consumption and distribution of one or more beverages. The garment can include one or more of a sunglass holder, an interior pocket configured to hold a flask, an insulated pocket, one or more exterior pockets, and rollable cuffs having a thumb hole and a high-friction grip portion centrally positioned on the cuff exterior.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application62/135,141 filed on Mar. 18, 2016 which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to clothing, and more particularly to functionalclothing for aiding a user in consumption and distribution of beverages.

BACKGROUND

The statements in this section merely provide background informationrelated to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

Garments such as shirts and jackets are well known including garmentshaving functional aspects or features. Functional garments often aredirected at a particular use. For example, fishing or hunting vests areadapted for utility particular to the various sporting activities.Recently, advances in micro and nanotechnology have introduced variouswearable electronic devices and systems. However, clothing and garmentsfor leisure activities and/or recreational events have seeminglyresisted functional incorporation and have been more directed to usercomfort rather than function.

For example, recreational events such as sporting events and concertsare such a setting normally associated with leisurely clothing. Theserecreational events often include prior group gatherings that ofteninclude bringing food and beverages in one or another's vehicle toconsume once the vehicle has been parked at the event location. Groupgatherings of this type are often referred to as “tailgates” and canbegin many hours before the event start. Often, one will walk to adesignated “tailgate” zone to meet others at a vehicle or arranged zonefrom which one may enjoy and participate in the gathering including oneor more desired beverages.

Transporting and consuming beverages to these tailgates or other groupgatherings can be a laborious task, requiring one or more of a carryingcontainer, a beverage opening device, an insulating material for holdingor insulating a beverage, and gloves to moderate hand comfort whenholding a cold or hot beverage. Accordingly, there is a need for agarment that provides functions, in a wearable and convenient manner,that are related to the consumption and transport of beverages.

SUMMARY

A garment is disclosed for aiding in the consumption and distribution ofone or more beverages. The garment can include one or more of a sunglassholder, an interior pocket configured to hold a flask, an insulatedpocket, one or more exterior pockets, rollable cuffs having a thumb holeand a high-friction grip portion centrally positioned on the cuffexterior, and a dual-use zipper formed to a bottle opener.

Certain embodiments of the invention may be formed of a sweatshirt, midor half zipping garments, and hoodless garment types.

This summary is provided merely to introduce certain concepts and not toidentify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One or more embodiments will now be described, by way of example, withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary garment having long sleeves, in accordancewith the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary cuff in an unrolled position to form acovering for at least a portion of the wearer's hand, in accordance withthe present disclosure;

FIG. 3 shows the exemplary cuff in a rolled position, in accordance withthe present disclosure;

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the cuff in its unrolledposition, in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIGS. 5A-5D show an exemplary insulation-lined pocket for a beveragecontainer, in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIGS. 6A-6C show exemplary embodiments of an eyewear holder for a pairof eyeglasses, in accordance with the present disclosure; and

FIGS. 7A and 7B show an exemplary bottle-opening zipper, in accordancewith the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detailwith reference to the drawings, where like reference numerals representlike parts and assemblies throughout the several views. Reference tovarious embodiments does not limit the scope of the invention, which islimited only by the scope of the claims attached hereto. Additionally,any examples set forth in this specification are not intended to belimiting and merely set forth some of the many possible embodiments forthe claimed invention.

As used herein, the word “exemplary” means “serving as an example,instance or illustration.” The embodiments described herein are notlimiting, but rather are exemplary only. It should be understood thatthe described embodiments are not necessarily to be construed aspreferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Moreover, the terms“one embodiment”, “various embodiments” or “invention” do not requirethat all embodiments of the invention include the discussed feature,advantage or mode of operation.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein the depictions are for thepurpose of illustrating certain exemplary embodiments only and not forthe purpose of limiting the same, FIG. 1 shows an exemplary garment 10having long sleeves 12 attached to a central or torso body portion,i.e., a garment body 14. The exemplary garment 10 further includes aretractable hood 16 and an integrated bottle-opener device configured tofunction as a zipper 18. The zipper 18 in one embodiment, extends alongthe body portion 14 of the hooded garment 10, from a first position 20,such as the bottom opening 22 or the bottom edge 24 of the hoodedgarment 10, to a second position 30 such as an upper edge 32 of the bodyportion 14. FIG. 1 is shown as a hooded garment, however upon a carefulreading of the teachings herein, one skilled in the art will readilyrecognize that the disclosure may be applied to various garment typesincluded hoodless shirts and jackets.

As shown in the exemplary embodiment, the garment body 14 is configuredto cover a substantial portion of a wearer's upper torso (not shown) andarms of the wearer (not shown) are protected with the two long sleevedportions 12, for each arm. Each sleeve 12 has a sleeve or cuff opening13. In one embodiment, that one end of the long sleeves 12 is attachedto a cuff 40, while the opposite end is attached to a portion of thegarment body 11.

The hooded garment 10 preferably has four openings, two openings foreach of the two arms 13, a bottom opening 22 near the wearer's waist,and a neck opening for receiving the wearer's neck and head. In oneembodiment, the cuffs 40, and/or bottom opening 22 have an elasticmaterial to engageably fit a wearer. In one embodiment, a retractablehood 16, is separately formed and is connected to the garment body 10,at around the front and back of the wearer. The hood 16, in oneembodiment, has two openings: one for receiving the head and neck of thewearer, and a face opening for allowing the wearer to see through fromthe front of the hood 16.

Various patterning may be used to form the constitute elements of thehooded garment 10. For example, the garment body 11, may have front andrear main panels that are sewn together. Once combined, each of thesleeves 12, may be formed and sewn for later attachment to the combinedfront and rear panels. The garment 10 may be formed of one or moreflexible materials, including, but not limited to, cotton, polyester, acotton polyester blend, nylon, wool, linen, silk, spandex, hemp, variousbrands of para-aramid synthetic fiber, and polyethylene fiber andvarious mixtures thereof.

Referring generally to FIGS. 1-4, the garment 10 includes cuffs 40. Thecuffs 40 are formed at an end of one or both of the long sleeves 12 ofthe garment 10. FIG. 2 shows the cuff in an unrolled position to form acovering for at least a portion of the wearer's hand. In one embodiment,the cuff 40 extends just past the knuckles of the hand in the area wherethe fingers meet the hand. The wearer's thumb is inserted in the opening42 and is partially exposed to the exterior of the cuff 40. The overalleffect is that a partial hand covering is formed at the end of eachsleeve 12 with at least a portion of the wearer's fingers and the thumbbeing exposed to the exterior of the cuff 40 so that the wearer'sdexterity and sense of touch are unimpeded.

The cuffs 40 include a high-friction grip portion 45 comprised of africtional material on the exterior of one or more of the cuffs 40. Inone embodiment, the grip portion 45 is positioned in a central area ofthe cuff 40. The grip portion 45 may be formed by screen printingplastisol on the cuff 40 so that the frictional material at leastpartially extends above the cuff 40 on the exterior surface. Otherfrictional materials may be used including, but is not limited to,combinations, mixtures and compositions of elastomers, or otherpolymers, such as latex, vinyl, nitrile, silicone, polyurethane,polypropylene, PVC and polyethylene.

The friction material of the grip portion 45 to the cuff 40 may beapplied by a three dimensional screen printing process, although anysuitable method known in the art may be substituted for threedimensional screen printing, including dip coating, casting, sprayingand spread coating. Additionally, the friction material may be depositedon a substrate other than the garment 10, such as a reinforcingmaterial. In use, the friction material of the grip portion 45 may thenbe selectively in contact with an item such as a beverage to resist therelative motion of the item and prevent slipping.

Referring specifically to FIG. 4, a cross-sectional view of the cuff 40is shown in its unrolled position. The cuff 40 comprises a tubularmember 44 having interior side wall 46, a proximal end 48 secured to theend of sleeve 12, and a distal end 49 having an opening 13 coaxial tothe longitudinal axis of sleeve 12 for the hand of the wearer to passthrough. The side wall 46 of the tubular member 44 has a hole 42 radialto the longitudinal axis of sleeve 12 corresponding in location with thebase of the thumb of the wearer's hand. The hole 42 is of sufficientsize to allow the thumb to extend from the interior of the tubularmember 44 through the hole 42 to the exterior of the cuff 40.

The structure of the cuff 40 permits fingers of the wearer's hand toextend to the exterior of the cuff 40 through the opening 42 and permitsthe thumb to extend through the thumb sheath 30 to the exterior of thecuff 40. As a result, the dexterity and tactile senses of the wearer'shand are unimpeded as it is possible for the wearer to use the thumbwith the remaining fingers of the hand and feel any article beinghandled. In one embodiment, the cuff 40 covers a substantial portion ofthe wearer's hand. As a result of the structure of cuff 40 of thepresent invention, the hand is kept protected and warm while dexterityand the tactile senses are preserved.

FIG. 3 shows the cuff 40 in a rolled position. As FIG. 3 shows, when itis not desirable to use the cuff 40 as a hand covering, the cuff 40 maybe stored at the end of the sleeve 12 in a rolled position by foldingthe tubular member 44 back over itself toward the sleeve 12 to create atleast one fold. In one exemplary application of a rolled position, theopening 42 is hidden and stored within the fold of the cuff 40. In oneembodiment, the cuff 40 has an appearance identical to that of aconventional cuff when in the rolled position. Further, in variousembodiments, the cuff 40 may be rolled more than once as desired by thewearer. The cuff 40 may be made of a cotton ribbed material or any othersuitable material. In one embodiment, the cuffs 40 are formed ofstretchable material. While the present disclosure is presented incontext of a jacket, the cuffs 40 may be implemented on a wide varietyof garments such as shirts and sweatshirts.

The garment 10 preferably includes one or more pockets such as aninsulation-lined pocket 50 for receiving a beverage container, a sleevepocket 52 along one or both sleeves 12 for storing, e.g., identificationcards or financial instruments, exterior accessible front pockets 54 and55, and one or more hidden flask pockets 56. The exterior accessiblefront pockets 54 and 55 may have openings from the top or the sides. Inone embodiment, the exterior accessible front pockets 54 and 55 includeextended interior portions for added storage.

FIGS. 1 and 5A-5C show an exemplary insulation-lined pocket 50. As FIGS.5B and 5C show, the pocket 50 is lined with an insulating material 60.The insulating material 60 is preferably formed of a single, integratedpiece of material although stitched material may be suitable in someembodiments. The material 60 is preferably formed in a manner configuredto fold flat or substantially flat when not in use. As FIG. 5D shows, abottom tab 62 is formed of the material 60 to function as a bottomsurface when the pocket is in use by, e.g., a can 2, placed through anopen end 64 of the pocket 50.

In one preferred embodiment, the insulating material 60 is aneoprene-based material although, it is contemplated that one of manyknown insulating materials may be used consistent with the teachingsherein, e.g., polyurethane foam. It should be appreciated that theinsulating material 60 helps keep the beverage cooler for a longerperiod of time.

FIG. 1 and FIGS. 6A-6C show exemplary embodiments of an eyewear holder70 for a pair of eyeglasses 4. As FIGS. 6A-6C show, the holder 70includes a sleeve or loop 72 and a strap 74. In one embodiment, the loop72 or strap 74 is formed of an elastic material. In one embodiment,holder 70 is positioned in the upper breast portion of the garment 10 asshown in FIG. 1. However, the spectacle holder 30 can be positioned in avariety of position to achieve a variety of functional and aestheticgoals. In one embodiment, the holder 70 is positioned over the undersideof the flask pocket 56.

The loop 72 and the strap 74 may be spaced apart so that an eyewearhinge of an arm inserted through the loop 72 will rest against a topedge of the loop 72 and the strap 74 will be spaced such that the strap74 will secure the arm in place. In one embodiment, the strap 74 isadjustable. In one embodiment, the strap 74 has a hook and loop fastenerto adjustably hold the eyewear 4 in place. In one embodiment, amechanical fastener may be used such as a snap-type fastener or buttonmay be used.

FIGS. 7A and 7B show an exemplary bottle-opening zipper 18 configured tofunction as a zipper head and a bottle opener. The zipper 18 functionsto broaden or closing of the garment 10 and may be configured to openvarious beverage containers. For example, the zipper 18 may be adaptedto remove different type bottle caps from bottles and tabs from push-tabcans. As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the bottle-opener zipper is formedfrom a fulcrum-type opener. It is contemplated by the disclosure hereinthat many types of bottle opener types may be used, including a flattypes having rectangular or rounded openings for applying force to a capand is not intended to by limited thereby except by the appended claims.

The disclosure has described certain preferred embodiments andmodifications thereto. Further modifications and alterations may occurto others upon reading and understanding the specification. Therefore,it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to the particularembodiment(s) disclosed, but that the disclosure will include allembodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

1. A multi-purpose garment comprising: a garment having an outer pocketsized to permit items to be inserted and retained therein and to permitthe retained items to be retrieve therefrom; a beverage holder disposedwithin the visible outer pocket, the beverage holder constructed ofinsulating material forming an interior pouch having an opening sized toreceive a beverage container and with insulating sidewalls sufficient toreceive a majority of a length of the beverage container, the interiorpouch constructed to collapse in substantially flat relation so that thegarment appears to not have a beverage holder when the beveragecontainer is not received within the interior pouch; a horizontal strap;a slip resistant grip disposed on cuff of an exterior of an arm sleeve,wherein the sleeve includes an opening sized and positioned for a thumb;and a zipper configured to open bottles.
 2. The garment of claim 1,wherein the cuff is foldable along a fold line substantially half-wayfrom a distal to a proximal end of the cuff.
 3. The garment of claim 2,wherein the interior pouch is constructed of a single piece of insulatedmaterial having mating sidewalls which fold together along a fold lineand wherein mating edges of the mating sidewalls are secured together toform the interior pouch.